Why National Carriers Exist and 5 Other Aviation Trends This Week

Sarah Enelow-Snyder, Skift

- Sep 08, 2018 10:30 am

Skift Take

This week in aviation, don’t miss our new deep dive into the history, economics, and psychology behind national airlines, many of which struggle chronically. We also looked at how and why airlines raise fees — and how they might do it better.

— Sarah Enelow-Snyder

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Throughout the week we post dozens of original stories, connecting the dots across the travel industry, and every weekend we sum it all up. This weekend roundup examines aviation.

>>Many politicians fear their nations will be irrelevant if they abandon their money-losing flag airlines. That’s probably a stretch. In most places, the market likely would fill the gap — provided the government got out of the way. But national pride is powerful, and few people want to see storied brands disappear: Why Do National Airlines Still Exist?

>>Many politicians believe their nations must have a national airline. But in most cases, they’re wrong. The weakest carriers probably should disappear, and the market can take care of the rest: A Case Against National Airlines

>>Southwest has survived by being different. That gets harder, but the lessons of its past success may help define its legacy. The Texas-based airline is one of the subjects in Skift’s recent sixth anniversary book, For the Long Haul, Lessons on Business Longevity, whose chapters we are excerpting for you here: Original Disruptor Southwest Airlines Survives on Ruthless Business Savvy

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